Manikin
by Oblivious
Summary: What's a good horror story without possessed dolls? Rozen Maiden X Fatal Frame
1. Chapter 1

_Oblivious presents..._

_A Fatal Frame/Rozen Maiden Fusion.  
_(He does not own any of this even though he wants to.)

**Manikin: _Chapter 1_**

* * *

"This place will be gone soon." 

A pale young girl with sleek, black hair in a bobbed haircut named Amakura, Mio whispered into her twin sister's, Amakura, Mayu's, ear as she embraced her gently from behind. Though Mayu favoured a brown Chinese style blouse while Mio preferred a brown, open top dress with black suspenders, they both were wearing crimson, butterfly shaped ribbons. Even though they were alone, Mio favoured the feeling of warm closeness to her twin sister that was brought by her whisper, as she was doubtless Mayu felt too. They both sat alone in the middle of a flourishing forest within the wide girth of a long dried tree stump. It was a place of promise; where they would meet if either of them got lost in the forest; where they promised… that they would always be together.

"Remember how we used to play here?" Mayu replied in question as she held Mio's hand, feeling the warmth of her body on her upper back. Mio remembered. She remembered how her childish abandon had cost her sister a healthy leg, regretfully. Mio's arms left her sister as she turned around and cast an eye toward the moss covered trunk of one of the nearby trees. It was sunny in the forest; the brilliant sunlight was shining down through the verdant canopy like golden lances… just like that day.

"How's your leg?"

"It hurts a little, but I'm fine." A reassuring smile spread across Mayu's face. Even though Mio's back was turned to hers, she felt her sister's unease lessen a little. Mayu knew that even though Mio tried to be strong for her, she was but a teenage girl herself. However, she loved her sister for her kindness.

It was then she heard a voice, followed by a fluttering in the corner of her eye…

That time… they were running through the forest, Mio was in the lead, motioning playfully to her sister, who was having difficulty keeping up. The canopy was thick, so even though it was midday, shadows abounded upon their path. The only sounds that could be heard within the dark forest were the sounds of their shoes traversing the well threaded dirt trail, along with their voices; one spurring onwards, one pleading for rest. It happened quickly, obscured by the shadows was a steep slope by the path, which took Mayu by her unawares, quickly swallowing her in darkness… it was lucky she had enough energy to scream.

"We should get going now… Uncle Kei will be worried." Mio said as she broke out of her reverie, turning to face Mayu. Except that where Mayu was supposed to be was only empty space. Mild shock gripped Mio. Lost as she was in guilty contemplation of the past, she had not noticed her sister slip away.

"Mayu…? **Mayu!"** She turned fast enough to glimpse Mayu disappearing into a clump of tall bushes, appearing to be chasing something. Mio called out to her, a note of desperation in her voice. Not waiting to see if she was heeded, Mio immediately gave chase, not without a sense of nostalgic irony.

Away Mayu ran, weaving and leaping past and over dense undergrowth and thick roots, completely fixated upon her quarry, deaf to her sister's calls. Mio pursued her hurriedly, but her lead was great… and she couldn't fathom since when her sister could move so fast.

The canopy was fast becoming heavy, and Mio's sense of irony was fast becoming one of dread. Amidst her hurry, Mio noted that Mayu was entering a part of the forest that Uncle Kei had warned them not to enter. However Mio would not leave her, not again.

* * *

Rei Kurosawa, freelance photographer, compressed the shutter button on her camera. A flash of light illuminated the twisty mass of thorny rose vines creeping across a decrepit brick wall. The vines were in bloom; deep crimson roses abounded upon the wall, filling the vicinity with their sweet perfume. 

Rei was on work, she was commissioned with the job of covering notable sites in the area that would be flooded once the dam was completed. It was rare for the papers to commission such an important task to a freelancer instead of one of their own. However, she still enjoyed the taste of Koshi Hikari.

She surveyed her surroundings. Whoever owned this manor loved roses. Almost every inch of the perimeter walls she had bothered to inspect so far were completely covered with the creeping rose vines. That was not all; she had passed rose bushes of several varieties, including strawberry in the sizable courtyard in front of the main building. They were all remarkably healthy, considering how this manor was supposed to be abandoned. She remembered attempting to grow roses once, it was disastrous. She had only tried to do so because he had said that they were pleasing… she remembered how his kind eyes looked upon a bloom in his hand and told her in a gentle voice how it reminded him of her. He would have liked this place. If only he could come… if only.

Something about the manor brought back memories, even though this was her first visit. Perhaps it was just the scent of the roses bringing them back. Rei shook herself out of her daydream, there was still so much ground to cover. With one last shot, she considered the garden completed, and set herself along the gravel path, which was overgrown with creepers and weeds, towards the manor's entrance. The clouds above were gathering menacingly, a blast of thunder shouted out their intent, she could not stay outside even if she wanted to. The fresh smell of an approaching storm was in the air.

"_Yuu…"_

She restrained herself from picking the unusually red strawberries that she passed on her way; there was something about them that she could not put a finger on, a nagging at the back of her mind. Perhaps it was the fact that there were absolutely no animals helping themselves to the fruit. There were none in the area for that matter. There was something wrong with this place, this assignment.

Miku Hinasaki, intern, stood in the dimness of the manor's atrium. She had done a little research on the manor they were investigating. Apparently it was old, very old, changing ownership a number of times in the past. Of course like any old place, there were a number of rumours surrounding it. Rumours may sometimes contain a grain of truth in them, but sometimes, rumours were just that; rumours.

Miku was a girl who could be likened to a lily, pure and sweet, yet resilient. After Rei's loss of her fiancé, Yuu Asou, who took in Miku, Miku took it upon herself to do what she could to ease her pain, doing the household chores, assisting Rei with her work… since she herself knew the pain of losing loved ones. Rei was like a big sister to her, there to support and protect her if need be.

She was hoping to discuss the manor more thoroughly with Rei, who should be arriving any moment. For the moment, rereading the research notes she had gathered would have to do.

* * *

(The Manor of Roses)  
An ancient manor rumoured to be located somewhere in the German countryside with origins stretching back to the medieval period. It is purportedly the dwelling of a genius doll maker name Rozen, whose dolls were said to be blessed with the gift of life, how exactly he was said to have achieved this is still a subject of debate among folklorists. There are many dark rumours surrounding the manor, tales of grisly murders and necromancy abound. Many have tried searching for it but it has never been found. The manor is considered an urban myth.

* * *

Was this indeed the Manor of Roses? The courtyard definitely seems to suggest that. Could they really expect that they were the first ones to enter the manor? How did those rumours come about then? The place also seemed strangely well kept, despite its seeming state of abandon. Something did not add up. Miku looked up when she heard the dull sound of footsteps upon the parquet flooring approaching her at a steady pace. 

"Oh Rei? The equipment has been set up, we can start anytime." Said Miku as she turned back, but the footsteps had already continued into the next room. Rei was in a hurry it seemed… then she noticed something. The entrance doors were closed, how did Rei get in without opening them?

"**Rei?"** Miku called out. It was then the main doors creaked heavily as they opened, imparting light into the darkness of the entrance hall as Rei Kurosawa, wearing a lace bound sky blue blouse and black jeans entered, apparently relieved she had beaten the rain.

"How did you know I was coming?" Rei asked inquisitively, not comprehending the look of bewilderment on Miku's face.

"I thought you already came in…" Miku said, unsure of herself. Perhaps she was simply thinking too much she thought. Besides, there could have been no one else in the area, at least there should not have been anyway.

Rei raised an eyebrow as she sized Miku up, positive that this was the first time she set foot in the place. Rei had some idea of Miku's sensitive nature; perhaps they might capture a ghost on film yet. The entrance hall was wide, carpeted in white, with embroidered walls that were cracked and peeling in disrepair. It housed an ancient looking upholstery couch, flanked by an umbrella stand. On the opposite wall was a sizable opening into a bar counter. A bar right at the entrance hall, very handy, thought out arrangements no doubt. It was hard to see into the room beyond the bar counter because of the lack of light, however she could make out the tinted figures of wine bottles and glasses of various shapes and weight. She cleared her throat; she wouldn't mind sneaking a whiff of the finer stuff...

"I shall be inspecting this area." Rei said in a business like tone, gesturing to the bar. "Go ahead and explore a little first, I'll catch up."

Miku nodded affirmatively, oblivious to her Mistress' intentions. Rei loved that about her; she was such an innocent little girl. As the two of them went about their designated intents, none of them noticed the main doors closing silently… and locking. None of them knew that that was the last they would see of each other in a long, long time. Cheesy I know.

Miku ascended one of the legs of the central staircase, which branched into two flights, between which was a large thinking man statue, carved out of black marbled rock. The mansion was as silent as a tomb, and about as dark as one.

The beam of her torch passed over the torso of what looked like a wax figurine dressed in white ritual robes, standing at a wall in front of a banquet table. She was in a dining room of some sort. Many of the household items, furniture, vases, statues, were still intact, many of them old enough to be antiques. Miku felt the wastefulness of letting such artefacts be washed away in the flood that would soon cover the area, but that was checked by the inherent respect she had for the manor's former owners.

"Hrmmm... Riesling ice wine, 1984…" noted Rei as she perused the label of a wine bottle under the illumination of her torch. Roses and wine, Rei had a feeling she might miss this place. Rei uncorked the bottle, and her sense of smell was powerfully assailed by the fruity yet complex smell of honey, peaches and lychees, and within the sweet scent was a mature flavour of sophistication she could not quite put a finger on. She was no expert on German wine, but even a novice like her could tell she was holding liquid gold.

Though she knew, that no matter how many glasses she downed, no matter how drunk she got, she would wake up the next morning, desiring the taste of his lips, a taste that was sweeter than any wine, a taste she shall never again sample. She corked the bottle and placed it on the counter as if it already belonged to her. She should go look for Miku.

Miku inspected the gloomy room she was in by the beam of her torch. The room's walls were splashed with bright colours, though deteriorated after many years. Playing blocks stood in one corner of the room, half build and half scattered. Toys were out of their chest, left lying on the floor. She could also make out sheets of paper lying on the floor, marked by haphazard crayon scribbles. She had entered what looked like the room of a young child, except that in its centre was an altar decorated with long burnt out candles and various ritual implements, enshrining an ordinary looking polished leather bound suitcase decorated with burnished gold details and an insignia of a rose, in front of what looked like the profile of a coffin. A journal besides the suitcase caught her eye, she opened it…

* * *

(A Pink Journal)  
3rd day. 3rd Month. Clear.  
Hinaichigo is the fifth Priestess!  
I love strawberries! I also love my sisters! Today we're just starting to live together after soooo long. Hina is sooo happy since Hina won't be alone anymore Shinku is bossy but nice, Suiseseki tells me interesting and frightening things, and, takes my things sometimes, Souseseki is her sister she's really smart Suigintou is scary :O, and she makes Shinku mad sometimes, but she's really funny XD. 

I love strawberries!

* * *

An odd arrangement, all things considered. Miku's curiosity of what was within the enshrined box was quickly overwhelming her… 

"_All alone again… I… am all alone again."_ said a voice that spoke on the very edge of hearing. "_That's horrible, leaving me alone like this… in this dark place… letting me waste away. Come with me… you're lonely too aren't you?"_ Miku's fingers slowly fumbled the faded gilded latch on the box.

"**Miku?** **You there?" **Rei's voice called out from the corridor. There was no reply.

"That's strange…" She thought aloud. As much as the rational side of her wanted to believe that Miku was safe, the utter silence and the encroaching darkness that was penetrated only by the meagre light of her torch was not doing much help. Rei quickened her pace, the atrium split into many sections and she'd have to check all of them fast.

She soon reached the dining room just up the forked staircase. A brief perusal did not uncover anything of interest, until she saw a strange looking statue in white robes standing in a corner. Crimson strings were hanging out of white cuffs around its wrists and ankles. Its skin was a little pale for a wax figurine, which are usually coloured, yet its features looked too real for a carved statue. She walked up to it, her torch illuminating its pasty visage, its eyes were closed, and up close she could see the wrinkles and creases defining the face. Slowly, her fingers moved towards it, withdrawing as soon as she touched it… it was soft, and bitingly cold. The cold seeped slowly into her body like the horror that was seeping slowly into her heart.

"This place…"

Rei was in a jog now, though it had only been a moment since she started, her breaths were more slightly more laboured than usual, and the cold seemed to be like a virus that persisted and multiplied... and the air seemed to be getting heavier for some reason. Her ears were pricked for any sign of Miku, but all she could hear was the sound of the old floorboards creaking as she made her way through the manor.

Just then, she heard a muttering coming from a room with its door slightly ajar. Her pace slowed to a cautious walk as she peered through the crack that was the doorway. It was hard to see inside because the vertical crack was thin, but she could make out an adult man who had his back turned towards her… she scrolled her vision to the right… he was dressed in white robes and holding something heavy in his right hand… she scrolled right a little more… it was a big, gigantic meat cleaver... which was dripping some dark liquid. He seemed to be worked up about something, breathing heavily and muttering something to himself.

"_Mor_… _lood… or… sa...ices… ou… wo… ge… ay…"_

Rei turned off her flashlight and took a few quiet steps away. The fact that the man inside that room did not know she was outside the room was the most important fact she cherished at the moment. A part of her entertained the possibility that the man inside that room was a sane man who got lost in the woods and somehow ended up deep within this manor… carrying that massive piece of metal all the while. She hung on to a sliver of security that her stealth ensured that it was impossible for him to see her within the darkness. Sound was the only way he could detect her presence… and the only way that she detected the hinges of the door before her creak eerily open.

"_He can't see me… He can't see me..."_

"**_More blood… More sAcRIfIceS…"_**

His voice was getting louder, but she could hear no footsteps. Where were his footsteps? Rei wanted to scream, but she gathered her willpower into a tense knot, and resisted, as screaming would give away her position. She continued her extremely quiet retreat backwards and away from the pungent irony smell that now pervaded the corridor.

"**_YOU WON'T GET AWAY!"_**

The voice was now right before her. As a last, desperate measure, Rei grabbed her camera and activated its flash, aiming where she thought his face was, hoping to stun him long enough to make her retreat. A bright flash of light momentarily filled the corridor, soon returning it to a state of deeper darkness. The man shouted out in fury and surprise as Rei dodged his misguided slash and dashed around him, attempting to spear his belly with her shoulder to disorient him further… and passed through cold air. Either the man was insanely quick or…

Too engrossed with getting away then wondering just what happened, she ran off into the darkness of the corridor turning on her flashlight only when she felt around a corner. Another corridor later, she passed a room with its door slightly ajar. It was emblazoned with intricate roses, coloured deep crimson, joined by vines of deep emerald. She took the chance.

As Rei pushed the door open, a burst of stale air met her nostrils, mixed with the smell of roses not unlike the ones she had found outside, though the smell here was tinged with iron and sweeter for some reason. Her torch lead the way as she entered, its narrow column of light doing little to assuage the darkness in the room or the growing trepidation in her heart.

"Miku?" She tried. When it was apparent no answer was forthcoming, she entered, cautiously, closing the door quietly behind her and locking it. She could not help but wonder how long it would stand against a cleaver the size of a man. Miku… she had almost forgotten about her after that close brush. She hoped dearly she was alright, anxiety now adding to the dark fear in her heart.

The room was well furnished with good taste, whoever owned the room could very well have been a lord or a lady… who had a thing for the colour red. There was bed in the corner with crimson blinds flowing from its ceiling, and the window frame opposite Rei was carved with intricate floral designs. Rei would have loved to open it and dispel some of the darkness in the room, but they were tightly barred, and she would not want to attract attention. There was also a bookcase beside the doorway, crammed with German books of unknown subjects. Then there was the altar, box, coffin and all. Rei approached the altar, which was covered with the bare stalks of the long dead roses that once covered it. The petals had fallen, carpeting the altar surface and the floor around it black, except for a barely discernable shade of burgundy.

"_Roses have always smelt sweeter in death."_ Rei found herself whispering to no one as she absentmindedly picked up a crimson coloured journal beside the wooden box with the gilded rose insignia. She flipped to the first entry, reading by the light of her torch.

* * *

(A Crimson Journal)  
6th Month. 1st day. Cloudy.  
I am Shinku, the fifth Priestess of the Rozen Maiden. Today a new servant has been assigned to me. His name is Sakurada, Jun, an insolent little urchin. Just when I lost my last diary too, bad luck really comes in droves. At first I thought Hinaichigo was playing the fool again, however as far as I can tell she knows nothing. She is as transparent as an early spring stream, so I would not fear any deception from her. I just will have to bear the trouble I suppose, and teach that upstart servant some manners.

* * *

Rei, struck by a stray whim, decided to read the last entry.

* * *

(A Crimson Journal)  
12th Month. 12st day. Rainy.  
I am Shinku, the fifth Priestess of the Rozen Maiden.  
Today is a glorious day, but perhaps it is an odious one. Today is the day I shall give my life for the completion of the Rozen Maiden series, the day of the Cutting Ritual. The sacrifice of ones life to protect her loved ones, is it not something to be proud of? Roses have always smelt sweeter in death. Then, why is my heart crying? Crying for those I will leave behind? Because I will never tell him how I feel?

* * *

Rei's head was feeling light. Perhaps it was the air getting still heavier, and the rosy perfume of death around her, but she could have sworn she was looking for something important just now. Whatever it was, she would try to remember it after she had a look at what was inside the box, for some reason she just had to take a look; she was curious. 

She fingered the cache and it came open with a smart click; it had not jammed even after all these years. The hinges whined as the box was opened for the first time in ages, revealing…

"A doll…?"

It was not just any doll; it was a masterpiece of a doll… not unless a way was found to shrink a person. Rei held the dolls limp body up to get a better look, the style looked Victorian. The doll was female, a lady with skin of creamy white, and much of what she wore was a deep, velvety scarlet. There was a large bonnet, affixed with two roses at each end, upon a head of golden blonde hair, whose two pigtails and sideburns came down in elegant locks, spiralling halfway down. The bodice of her red dress hung down to her elbows, covering most of her sleeves. She also was wearing a huge, emerald green ribbon on her neck, with a third rose sewn into its centre. A wave of girlhood glee threatened to rise up in Rei, before it was mercilessly crushed by presence of mind.

Rei noticed a gilded key with a hollow centre lying in the velvet padded box; it was probably there to wind some mechanism. Rei quickly located a hole in the dolls back and tried the key… it was a perfect fit. As her fingers were about to muster the strength to turn the key, Rei hesitated. What would she set into motion if she turned the key? Should she stop? What on earth was going on in this manor? Should she get out of here? What about Miku? Did she leave the car's air conditioning on?

"What the heck."

She turned the key, several times, and then took it out. She sat the doll down and stared at her with her torch shining on it… and the doll… sat there… looking pretty. Rei started wondering if she turned the key the wrong way when the doll shuddered… then convulsed, with the mechanical sounds of cogs and gears clashing. A glow of ruby light emanated from the dolls still limp body as it levitated in mid air for a few moments before landing on its feet. Then her sapphire blue eyes opened in a squint.

She looked at Rei as she lifted her tiny hand to block out the glaring light. Rei looked back, hand still grasping the flashlight.

"Is this some sort of joke? Did you wind me?" the lady doll questioned, a note of annoyance in her voice.

Rei took an instinctive step back. It spoke. Dolls do not speak.

"I… err…"

"Well?!" the doll demanded.

"Y-yes. It was me."

"Turn that thing away, you're hurting my eyes. Heavens sakes! You would do well to mind your manners."

"I… I'm sorry…"

Rei lowered the beam to the dolls legs, the fact that she had just apologised to a doll wreaking havoc on her already wrought mind. She must be going insane, was this the manor's curse?

"I don't believe we have introduced ourselves... I am Shinku; the Fifth… Doll of the Rozen Maiden Series."

"I… am Kurosawa, Rei… a Freelance Photographer."

Rei's social logic was running on autopilot for the moment, her mind had latched onto something. Shinku… was that not the name of the Shrine Priestess in the diary? Just what sort of life did she lead?

"It seems we're still in the manor… this might be troublesome. Holie!"

When Shinku spoke the last word, a tiny scarlet ball of light arose from her suitcase, flitted around and stopped, hovering in front of her.

"Go, find out about my sisters and the state of the bindings."

There was a moment of silence as Rei watched the ball fly toward the door and underneath it, the reality of it all taking its time to sink in. When she looked back, she noticed the clear blue eyes of Shinku staring straight at her. Those eyes looked fierce and sharp, almost as if they were piercing the surfaces of Rei's eyes and looking straight into her mind and soul… that was dying from her lack of him…

"You are truly helpless… like me." Shinku said finally.

"…Huh?"

"Human? Show me your wrist."

Rei's nervousness not fully abated yet, she did so, wondering about the dolls assessment of her. She may very well be right. Shinku took her hand in both of hers and inspected it.

"As I thought… this is not good." said Shinku, her tone grave.

Rei was puzzled until, by the light of her torch, she noticed the tiny thread burns around her wrist, from which a crimson thread was hanging off… like the strings of a puppet.

"This is Puppet Masters doing."

As soon as Shinku finished her statement, black feathers fluttered mysteriously down from above as slow and heavy footsteps could be heard outside the door. Rei looked up quickly above to find the source, but all she saw was wooden ceiling.

"So she's already here. _Really._ There was not even time for tea."

The heavy footsteps continued as Rei walked tentatively over to the door, followed by Shinku. As she got closer she could hear murmuring, a girl's murmuring. Was it Miku?

"Human?"

"I think I might know her."

Rei undid the lock and slowly opened the door, her foot ready to bar it at a moments notice. The light of her torch fell upon a red butterfly ribbon on a brown Chinese style dress, worn by a girl with black hair in a bobbed haircut; she was not Miku, but she seemed human. Rei opened the door to admit her.

"What's your name?"

Mayu Amakura did not reply, looking up at Rei with serene, unblinking black eyes. She raised her hands to Rei's shoulders, as if to hug her, before she put them around her neck, and tightened her fingers. Mayu took a step forward, driving her thumbs deeper into Rei's throat. Rei could only choke with shock and surprise. The girl was strong for her size, so Rei could not break free… if this continued…

"Human!"

Rei flashed her camera again, which seemed to daze her if not shock her, loosening her grip enough for Rei to push her away. The girls touch seemed to impart coldness into her body that sapped away the warmth of life. As Rei retreated, Mayu stepped into the room as the door closed itself behind her.

"_Hah hahahaha…"_

Mayu was laughing, a laugh that was as smooth as silk, yet mercilessly cruel. It was a laughter that sent shivers down Rei's spine and dread into her heart.

"_It's been a long time… Shinku. I was literally counting the hours…"_

"Suigintou…"


	2. Chapter 2

_Oblivious presents..._

_A Fatal Frame/Rozen Maiden Fusion.  
_(He does not own any of this even though he wants to.)

**Manikin:** **_Chapter 2_**

* * *

"_Hah hahahahahahaha…"_

Mayu was laughing a laugh that was as smooth as silk, yet mercilessly cruel. It was a laughter that sent shivers down Rei's spine and dread into her heart.

"_It's been a long time… Shinku. I was literally counting the hours…"_ said Mayu, leering at Shinku with an amused expression on her face.

"Suigintou… that human has nothing to do with us or the game! Release her at once!" Shinku commanded imperiously, staring up at Mayu with narrowed eyes.

"_She was a part of the game the moment she stepped into Father's Manor, My… sweet… Shinku… both she and her sister."_

So there were other people in the manor. Even though Rei did not know them, it gave her a minute sense of solace that she and Miku were not alone in this place… where ever Miku was. The cold weight of reality was setting in now; the constricting pain upon her wrists… and other areas of her body was real. There were powerful spirits in the area that could take control of the bodies of dolls and humans alike, for what sinister purpose she could not fathom. This was a good time to wake up in her bed.

"Miss Kurosawa?" Shinku asked, the politeness and control evident in her voice.

"This girl has been possessed by an Evil Spirit-"

"_How RUDE!"_ Mayu yelled indignantly.

"-I can free her, but I am going to need your assistance."

Shinku seemed to know the spirit that was in control of the girl, and seemed to harbour a sort of enmity for it, which seemed mutual. Mayu's scowl faded away as a grin crept across her face, giggling to herself in the dim darkness. Rei seriously felt that there was really something creepy about that girl.

"_Assistance?__I'm so sorry, but these hands have a tendency to slip and strangle assistants."_ She stated with a mournful tone in her voice.

From the way she thrust her weight from her right leg, this girl was a limp, but she was pretty fast for one. Rei grabbed Mayu's arms and held them in place as she made another harrowing effort to strangle the life out of her. She was as strong as before, much too strong for a school girl whose head only reached Rei's chin. Then there was the frigid cold seeping out of her arms and into Rei's hands, slowly chilling her to the bone.

"_My, my, aren't we pretty."_ Mayu chided as she stared into her eyes, her thin but mighty arms of creeping cold soon overpowering Rei.

It was then Rei noticed that Shinku had somehow gotten to the top of altar beside her and was now standing at nearly equal height to her. She held out the back of her hand, around whose ring finger was a silver ring upon which sat a tiny gold rose.

"Swear upon this rose… that you will protect my Roza Mystica. Only then can I free her." The blonde doll said with a note of urgency, staring straight into Rei's olive black eyes with her own sapphire ones.

The possessed girl was strong, but thankfully her weight had not changed. Rei was slightly larger in stature then her, so she used this to her advantage, and thrust her weight behind her arm into Mayu's solar plexus, pushing her back.

"_Oh… someone needs a diet."_

Rei found her lips tightening at that comment about her weight. Even though she was in a cursed manor that was full of fear and danger, and just had her definition of reality stomped over and overwritten, Rei was still a woman. Suigintou… that was quite underhanded. Rei looked at Shinku, a measure of resolve steeling her eyes.

"Cast out that Evil Spirit." Rei requested of Shinku, with just a tiny edge in her voice, as she lowered her head to Shinku's outstretched hand, planting a soft kiss upon the ring of rose.

"_Teaming on poor little me are we?"_

"With pleasure." Shinku replied to Rei with a smile. As Rei took a step back, a brilliant ruby beam of light projected upwards from Shinku's ring, and descended upon Rei's ring finger on her right hand. The finger she had been saving for so long… it burned hot as a thin sliver of molten mass constricted itself upon her finger; it seemed to be determining a perfect fit. Soon, the ruby light died down, revealing a slightly glowing ring of rose on the base of Rei's finger, exactly like the one Shinku had. It was a warm piece of metal, as if it were newly forged. There was something peculiar about the ring in that it fit so well that it was like a part of her skin… or a part of her.

"Playtime has ended, Suigintou." stated Shinku as she held the palm of her hand in front of her face. She blew a gust of wind into her palm, materializing dozens of ruby red rose petals that flew out before her, soon filling half the room in a storm. Rei noticed the ring on her finger growing hotter and glowing bright red as Shinku demonstrated her powers.

Smoke arose where the petals touched Mayu's body, who shouted deafeningly in agony, flailing her arms in vain at the petals that surrounded her. Rei noticed then, a black ring on Mayu's finger emanating a bright purple light. Mayu turned to flee, but was held back by Rei, who restrained her from behind in a tight arm lock. The first thing Rei noticed was that Mayu's struggling body was getting warmer by the second. Then finally, with a final exhausted groan, Mayu ceased her struggling. Rei carried her over to the veiled bed beside the altar and carefully rested her limp body upon it.

"_Shinkuu…" _Mayu uttered intensely before unconsciousness claimed her, the black ring on her finger gone without a trace.

"What happened to her?" Rei asked, the awe in her voice evident.

"She was forcefully made into a medium. This girl must be highly sensitive for Suigintous control to be so… complete." Shinku answered appraisingly.

"A Medium?"

"A Medium is a plane upon which a force expresses itself. She was possessed." Shinku explained.

"I see…" Rei had read about spirit possession in certain books and the internet, but she would never have believed it until seeing it firsthand. Metaphysics… He was involved in this field.

"Just for your information, -You- are my Medium as well." informed Shinku with a slight smile on her face.

"…And?" queried Rei as she a raised eyebrow at the doll clad in red.

"The difference is that you are a Medium of agreement, the ring on your finger is proof of our contract. It cannot be broken easily by a third party."

"...but that doesn't explain-" Rei began.

"Patience. The link of Mediumship goes both ways, while I can project myself onto you, I can draw power from you as well, through your ring. The hotness you should have felt was caused by resistance opposing the flow of energy. It was your power that drove out Suigintou."

Now that Shinku mentioned it, Rei was feeling a slight bit winded. It felt as if she had just run halfway around a block; that was quite a bit of energy. Then she remembered a question she had wanted to ask Shinku.

"How… did you know I was a Miss? Lucky guess?" Rei asked as she stared at Shinku with a discerning frown.

"Come closer, Miss Kurosawa." Shinku requested, smiling an enigmatic smile. Rei did so, walking over to the altar where Shinku was standing.

"Closer."

Rei hesitantly lowered her head closer to Shinku. The aristocratic doll put her tiny hand upon Rei's cheek, feeling her smooth, pale skin, and her sharp sky blue eyes into Rei's jet black ones.

"You have beautiful eyes, Rei. A deep, sorrowful longing like the one I see should not exist were you in Union."

A gasp was all Rei managed.

* * *

So she sat there, on the wrought iron railings of a staircase, almost unseen in pitch black, a twilight angel of death with dark wings hanging in the air like a thousand black fingers radiating from her body, a doll's body. From her scalp flowed long silver blonde hair that parted the dark hands extending from her back. To her crown was affixed a laced black hair band which had a black rose in its centre. Over white underlinen she wore an elegant dress of sable; body hugging around her torso to exemplify her figure yet loosening around the sleeves that split midway to allow pure white ruffs. The skirt was tastefully jagged at its edges, trailing gracefully behind her form like the wings of a bat. A dark aura of Malice hung around the figure, radiating its desire to obliterate all that lives and return its warmth to the darkness of the Abyss. 

"_This was just a greeting Shinku. Please be ready for me… I want to enjoy slowly squeezing the life out of you."_ said the pitiless yet velvety voice of the dark figure in excitement, its arms wrapped around its body in anticipation; it was almost time for that human to reach her destination. She needed her help to obtain an artefact of certain… power. She still remembered how she had been repelled by the powerful seals surrounding it. It was not meant for the usage of the Rozen Maiden, especially one as corrupted as her, but that only made her want it even more…

"_Do not avert your eyes papa… from me, the most beautiful of your daughters. Only I will do what is necessary to fulfil your will. Only I will become your Alice_… _only I; Suigintou."_ At these words, her folded, inky wings shot open, more than doubling their size before the doll glided off the railing, laughing her sweet laugh.

Mio raised the aged but still serviceable flashlight she had found in one of the decrepit rooms of the manor. She was aware that there were forces in the manor, malevolent forces she had no idea existed before setting foot into the dark manor in pursuit of her sister, and much less forces she could defend herself against. She had been… assaulted, the best word she could think of to describe it, by an entity of black, violent emotions whose touch left her physically and mentally exhausted. She managed to fight if off and escape, though how exactly she did this, she was not sure. It was almost as if a warm strength within her rose up in a burst of emotion that repelled the force long enough for her to make her escape… it was when she remembered her sister, Mayu. She resolved to do whatever it would take to find her sister, alive and well.

She looked at the old journal (Which apparently belonged to a Metaphysicist) she had found lying on the ground in one of the rooms she had passed through after she escaped the spectre. It was quite fortunate, because she might not have found it if she was in a hurry. When she found the room, the door was slightly ajar while most she had passed by had been closed, not to mention that the flashlight she had found was lying right next to the journal, allowing it to be read in the dimness. Mio felt a certain oddness about the find, but still she would have missed learning about the Camera Obscura had it not occurred.

* * *

(A Metaphysicist' Journal) 

21st April, Monday

The Camera Obscura; said to be able to take pictures of impossible things. It seems to be sensitive to a band of electromagnetic (EM) waves as yet documented scarcely by western science. On a higher frequency setting it is able to capture pictures of the EM Fields produced by living things; humans, plants, animals and so on. It should be noted that this is quite different from the scam known as 'Kirlian Photography', which produces images by capturing gas ionization caused by the current that is run though the subject, as opposed to a true EM Field. A simple test conducted by submerging the subject in a vacuum easily proves this. The Camera Obscura, however, seems to be the real thing, with the genuine ability to capture EM waves propagated by living things. A rather disturbing effect of the camera is that it seems to pull energy from objects within its capture circle; subjects seem to report minor feelings of disorientation when this happens, and one subject actually burst into tears when her picture was taken, which seems to be consistent with the effects that occur when human EM fields are disrupted or diminished. This does not happen when the camera is set to a lower frequency, as the camera then seems to target more… elusive entities.

* * *

Mio noted that it seemed that the owner of the journal had come to the manor to investigate the camera he had come to know about through various sources. Interestingly, the manor was occupied at the time, by people. Whatever the camera was, she felt that it would be useful if she was going to stay in the manor for any length of time. 

Finally, she reached the room stipulated by the journal that contained the camera. She pushed the door open, a musty smell greeting her as she entered. Her pittance of a torch scanned the dark room. It seemed to be a storeroom of some sort, filled with rows of shelves that housed a wide variety of books and items that may have served ritualistic purposes, like candles, incense and sacred rope. It was quite a large room, and as she walked deeper into it, the shelves of old looking books and ritual tolls turned into shelves filled with… dolls. It was at this point she could detect a stale smell of iron. Various dolls in various states of completion filled the shelves, some merely unfinished while others were broken or damaged. There was a girl with blonde hair in a blue dress and a cracked face, missing an eye, a cruel hollow were it should have been. There was also a clown doll, still smiling almost psychotically though its ruined body was missing a limb or two. They all stared at Mio accusingly with those false eyes, almost daring her to mock them, as they were left to languish eternally, incomplete and broken, as junk, in this graveyard of dolls.

She tore her eyes away from the sorry sight, focusing once again on the task at hand. She found the camera at the end of the doll shelves upon a pedestal. It was covered methodically with long strips of yellow paper with various chinese characters upon it scrawled in what looked like dark red dye. The wax blots of burnt out candles also marked the site. She tore off the paper strips on the camera and picked it up. It was a very old fashioned camera, like those very old models that utilised a magnesium powered flash to create a picture. There were mysterious dials on the camera Mio assumed must have been used to adjust the frequency of the wave the camera captured. She turned around to the shelves and looked through the camera lens… and saw thick red liquid flowing copiously from the shelves around her, almost as if the dolls were bleeding. In shock, Mio looked with her own eyes. The blood had vanished. She looked again through the camera; the blood reappeared, along with a winged female doll in black. She had a deathly pale face and long silver blonde hair that flew subtly in the stagnant air. She floated in midair between the bleeding shelves, smiling at Mio deviously, staring at her with calico, pupiless eyes.

Mio took away the camera. The doll was still there, radiating a biting cold that swept over Mio, whose skin had broken out in a sea of goose bumps. A primal fear had awoken in Mio; floating before her and approaching her ever so slowly was a being that radiated a frigid lust for death, without a trace of humanity. Its huge black wings hung out around its figure like the dread hands of the Grim Reaper himself, poised to snatch the life from her body.

"_Welcome… welcome…"_ said the doll in black melodiously, to a chorus of child like voices behind her, also voicing their hospitality.

* * *

There was a doll. It was like a child, with a huge lacy pink ribbon upon her head of shoulder length blonde hair, bound spirally in huge locks. Large and bright green eyes on this head stared out upon the world, its playground. It was wearing a pink overcoat secured by a silk ribbon, with thin lines of orchid patterns running down its front and intricate lace on its hem and sleeves. It was worn over a white, sleeveless dress. It floated in the air in the middle of a dark hallway, beckoning with its arms outstretched, as if waiting for a hug. 

"_Your brother is this way. Hina will show you the way. You can be together… forever." _Hinaichigo said as she flew backwards, careful not to lose the human on her trail.

Miku looked at the doll, and saw beyond it, the back of a young man in white, walking down the hallway… away from her. Could it be?

"Mafuyu…!" Miku called out with longing in her voice, but the figure did not reply, nor give any indication she was heard. She had waited so long… so long just to see her brother again. The pining in her heart was a tangible knot in her chest, twisting painfully when she considered being together with her beloved brother again; the only one who truly understood her, the only one she truly loved. Her arm outstretched, she silently bade the figure to stop, so she could take a closer look, just one look. To take a look upon his face she had not seen for so long… so long.

"_Come… be with me._" bade the child-like doll in an innocent yet hypnotic voice. The crimson strings flowing from Miku's body, winding deep into her flesh, were being pulled taut by an invisible force. None noticed a tiny crimson spirit orb fly off into the distance.

"_They told me to stay in there… never come out they said. It was so dark, so cold. Hina… must thank you for releasing her."_

Miku did not know where she was going, completely focused upon the vision of Mafuyu. She was vaguely aware that she was heading deeper and deeper into the manor, where the light of day was nowhere to be found. Shadows whispered to her upon the edges of her hearing, or perhaps her sanity; shadows of the guilty past longing to right their wrongs, voices of the vengeful swearing bloody oaths and pleadings of the fearful with no where left to run. Within the cascade of voices from the void, Miku was slowly losing her grip on the world; her eye lids were getting heavier, and her consciousness was starting to waver…

When she awoke, Miku found herself lying on hard wooden floor. It was dark around her so she assumed she was still in the Manor. Lifting her head up, she gasped; at the thick, pure white ropes hanging from the ceiling, billowing subtly in the stale air. A chill ran up her spine when she noticed her own pale face staring back at her at the end of the hallway; a mirror, a very familiar mirror. She was in one of the hallways of the mansion where she had lost her brother a few years ago. She was in the Hall of Ropes. Within the mirror she could also make out a small figure hovering over her back…

"_Are you here already? Your brother is just up ahead…" _said a child's voice with disturbing calmness behind her.

"Mafuyu…" said Miku, the strings around her body tightening and the invisible force strengthening as she said this. Miku did not wince nor moan from the pain; she hardly felt it. All she cared about was seeing her brother again, she may have lost him the first time, but she would not lose him again. Back again in the cursed mansion to whom she lost her beloved; with darkness encroaching all around, there was only one way forward, which promised neither darkness nor light.

* * *

Mayu stared up at those eyes, one of crimson and one of emerald, that were looking down at her in sorrow, as if they were the only things in the world. She could feel strong, shivering hands pressing their thumbs upon her throat, slowly squeezing the life from her. It was strange, that though she was being murdered, she did not struggle or resist; she merely lay there, staring at those beautiful eyes. She felt neither hate nor fear; they had no place in her mind. The only thing there was, flowing endlessly from her heart at this moment; was gratitude and love. Soon overflowing, those eyes wept warm tears of sadness and regret, tears that fell upon Mayu's serene expression. Though she could not, she wanted to say it was okay, that she was content to die, if it were by the hands of bearer of those beautiful eyes. All she could do was smile with her lips and with her eyes. 

"_Suiseseki… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"_ she said, her tears continuing to fall.

Mayu raised her hand to her murderer's face, slowly and carefully wiping her tears away. Her arms were already getting weaker, and her vision was starting to fade away. Finally, they would be one, together forever… then she awoke.

She was lying in a bed, rather soft and comfortable. The soft light of a candle filled her eyes, though her vision was still blurred upon awakening. She sat up, groaning at the infernal aching in her arms and her body in general. It felt like she had been doing push ups for hours, and her mind was cloudy and weakened. It felt like her brain was just run through a washing machine; recalling the recent past seemed impossible. What had she been doing all this time? Mio…

"You're awake? How do you feel?" Mayu heard a young woman asking.

Finding the source of the voice, Mayu set eyes upon the candlelit face of a middle aged Japanese woman with short, raven black hair. She was sitting on the bedside at her feet, looking at her with a watchful yet caring gaze that hinted of maternity. Mayu held the woman's gaze for an extended moment, her eyes still taking their time to adjust. Most people would avert their eyes when confronted with this, but this woman did not, smiling faintly instead.

"I'm… not so sure." Mayu replied quietly.

"Don't worry; I'm sure you'll be fine." She kindly reassured. "My name is Kurosawa, Rei. Call me Rei... and this is…"

Mayu looked down from Rei's face and saw a rather well made doll in a crimson dress of Victorian origin sitting in her lap. The doll was staring at Mayu unblinkingly with sky blue eyes unmoving, as all dolls tend to do.

"I am Shinku, the fifth doll of the Rozen Maiden." Spoke the doll, which dolls tend not to do. Her voice and speaking lips… it sounded so natural; it was almost like a real girl. There was something telling Mayu that the doll sitting before her was more than that. Her eyes were alive, not dead.

"Awesome…" Mayu whispered with consummate awe as she continued watching Shinku, unable to look anywhere else.

The doll called Shinku smiled indulgingly at Mayu before asking a question.

"And you are?"

"Oh sorry… Amakura, Mayu. Mayu's fine… but… where am I?"

"I regret to inform you that you are in the Manor of Roses." said the doll, causing Mayu and Rei to exchange glances. Rei noticed Mayu's expression was not one of bewilderment or shock, merely one of grim confirmation. It was almost as if she already knew.

"I would rather not involve those who have nothing to do with us, but it is as Suigintou said. There are… those within the Manor who would use the living for their own ends, or consume their life force to ease their own pain… carried forth from when they lived."

"What exactly is happening to this Manor? How did you end up here?" Rei asked, seeming to have accepted the situation she was in.

"What indeed… I suppose I will have to explain it sooner or later. It should be noted that not all the details are clear to me as I have just awoken…" She paused for a few moments to organise her thoughts. "This Manor was created for the purpose of sealing shut the gates of the Abyss, which lies deep beneath it. It is an abominable, hellish place, the evil in it growing ever stronger; likely the same evil which now covers this Manor. We, the Rozen Maiden were the ones who should have sealed it forever… but before we could, something happened, and none of us were awakened to participate. Without any of the Maidens to close the Abyss… it must have broken free."

"I see… You mentioned 'those within the Manor' just now. Who exactly?"

"Suigintou for one. Then there are those poor souls trapped in this place, and the Puppets."

"Puppets?"

"Humans who could not let go of the past, letting it pull their strings. Literally." said Shinku, looking up at Rei, who noticed her gaze and knew the reason behind it.

It was some time ago, however, it was still fresh in Rei's mind… like a knife of guilt lodged in her brain. They were driving along the road of a mountain pass, together with Him, her fiancé, Yuu Asou. It was a humid night, and fog had descended upon the road. The fog lamps were at full blast, but visibility was still impaired. Rei was driving as she usually did; fast. He had told her to slow down, but she did not listen... After she lost control, they were hanging precariously on the edge of a steep slope. The tree holding them would not hold for long, and if either of them left, the weight imbalance would cause the car to fall. Ignoring her protests, he pushed her out of the car to safety, just before the young tree holding them gave way. She could not bring herself to look at his body.

A sharp, constricting pain around her limbs and places around her torso snapped Rei out of her reverie, causing her to wince in pain. Shinku sighed.

"It is not my place to tell you this Miss Kurosawa…"

"Please, Rei's just fine."

"Sometimes… Rei, it is just better to forget." Shinku said, her expression turning slightly morose. A moment passed in silence before a tiny wisp of crimson light that was flying about stopped in front of Shinku, who paid close attention to it.

"Speak of the devil… it seems a puppet is about to be made." Shinku said, finally.

"What? Who?" asked Rei, who was afraid to hear the answer. She had been looking for a chance to continue her search for Miku, but she would not leave Mayu all alone in this forsaken manor. She was glad to have her company anyway. Mayu, who had been quiet for awhile, was staring into space, seemingly lost in thought. Sensing Rei's gaze, Mayu turned to look at her with a somewhat glazed expression, and spoke.

"The curse has overwhelmed her. We must find her before she gets there…"

Shinku eyed Mayu appraisingly. Indeed, she is a sensitive. Rei simply stared at Mayu, uncomprehending of what she had said.

"I cannot tell exactly whose, but I sensed the door to someone's dream opening just now; it looks like this is confirmed." Shinku said.

"What will happen to her?" asked Rei with urgency in her voice. If it was Miku they were talking about she would not sit by idly.

"Her spirit will follow those of her loved ones into the Abyss and her body will forever walk the halls of this Manor."

"It's her." Mayu whispered as she stared meaningfully at Rei, understanding coming to her with unpleasant tidings.

"We have to help her…" said Rei, anxiety rising up within her heart. There was no way Mayu would have known about that, but as Rei looked into her eyes, she found no other reason to distrust her.

"There is only one way, by entering the world of dreams, the N Field… but… you may be turned into a Puppet yourself"

"I'll do anything." said Rei, conviction in her eyes. Miku was the only family she had left after her loss of Yuu, there was no way she would lose a loved one again without a struggle.

"Very well. I shall not stop you... Please lie down." said Shinku standing up from Rei's lap.

"Good luck." said Mayu softly, getting off the bed to make space for Rei. She walked over to the altar and stared vacantly into the candle flame.

"Thank you…"

Rei steeled herself for what was yet to come as she lay her head upon the pillow, staving her trepidation. The bed was still possessed of Mayu's warmth. It was then she heard the door creak open.

"Where are you-" Shinku began.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go." Mayu said as she held the door open, before she headed out into the pitch dark corridor, closing the door behind her.

"We'll have to trust she knows what she's doing…" Shinku said before walking over to Rei's head and kneeling beside it, speaking with a hypnotic voice that seemed to be getting further and further...

"I hope so…" said Rei, her eyes getting heavier and heavier before a vision of a raven haired man whose face was all too familiar to Rei appeared before her.

_Yuu?_


End file.
